Coconut Protein Ice Cream (35g Protein Ninja Creami)
Coconut protein ice cream made in the Ninja Creami with coconut milk, vanilla protein powder, and toasted coconut. It tastes like a tropical vacation in a scoop, creamy, lightly sweet, and high in protein. Blend, freeze, spin, fold in the coconut.
Coconut everything, but make it a high-protein scoop you can have after dinner. This tastes like the beach, creamy and tropical, and the toasted coconut on top is the part I never skip.
Coconut protein ice cream is a high-protein frozen dessert made by blending milk, coconut milk, vanilla protein powder, and pudding mix, freezing it for 24 hours, then spinning it in the Ninja Creami and folding in coconut flakes. The coconut milk and a touch of coconut extract bring the tropical flavor, and the protein powder and Fairlife milk bring the protein.
This is the pure, tropical coconut version, no chocolate. If you want the chocolate-shell candy-bar one, that’s my bounty protein ice cream. This recipe keeps it all about the coconut.
Ingredients You Need
- Fairlife 2% milk — creamy and high in protein, about 14g per cup. Skim, 1%, or whole all work, and the more fat, the creamier.
- Unsweetened almond milk — thins the base just enough to spin smooth. Oat or cashew milk work too.
- Light coconut milk — the tropical coconut backbone. Full-fat coconut milk makes it creamier and more coconut-forward if you don’t mind the extra calories. I love the Thai Kitchen brand.
- Vanilla protein powder — the protein and a creamy base. PEScience Gourmet Vanilla is my go-to, code BAILEY saves you a bit. Coconut protein powder is great here for even more coconut.
- Coconut extract — the secret to a real coconut punch. Coconut milk alone tastes mild once frozen, so a few drops of extract make it taste properly coconutty.
- Sugar-free vanilla pudding mix — my non-negotiable for texture. It’s what keeps this creamy instead of icy. Xanthan gum works too.
- Vanilla extract and a pinch of salt — they round everything out.
- Coconut shreds or flakes — folded in at the mix-in stage for real coconut texture in every bite.
How to Make Coconut Protein Ice Cream
- Add the Fairlife milk, almond milk, coconut milk, protein powder, coconut extract, pudding mix, vanilla, and salt to your Ninja Creami pint. Blend with a frother until smooth, keeping it under the max fill line.
- Cover and freeze flat for 24 hours, until it’s solid all the way through.
- Take the pint out, run the outside under hot water for 60 seconds, and make sure the top is level so it doesn’t damage the blade.
- Lock it into the machine and press Lite Ice Cream for the first spin.
- It’ll likely look powdery or crumbly after that first spin, and that’s normal. Add a tablespoon of milk and hit Re-Spin until it’s creamy.
- Dig a well in the center, add the coconut shreds, and press Mix-In. Scoop and dig in.
Tips for the Creamiest Coconut Ice Cream
Add coconut extract for real coconut flavor. This is the big one. Coconut milk on its own tastes surprisingly mild once it’s frozen, so a few drops of coconut extract is what makes it taste like coconut and not just vanilla.
Toast the coconut flakes first. A few minutes in a dry pan turns them golden and deepens the coconut flavor with a little crunch. Watch them closely, they go from golden to burnt in seconds.
Mix the base really well so the protein powder and pudding fully dissolve. Any dry pockets spin up grainy.
Freeze the pint dead level, and don’t let it thaw before spinning. The machine is built to drill straight through a fully frozen pint, so spin it cold for the creamiest result.
Don’t overfill the pint. Protein bases expand a little as they freeze and spin, so keep it at or below the max fill line.
Variations and Mix-Ins
Piña colada — fold in crushed pineapple after spinning for that pineapple-coconut combo.
Mango coconut — blend in fresh mango or fold mango chunks in at the mix-in stage for a tropical twist.
Even higher protein — blend 2 tablespoons of cottage cheese into the base. You won’t taste it, and it makes the coconut base extra thick and creamy.
Toasted coconut — lean all the way into toasted coconut flakes through the base and on top for a deeper, nuttier flavor.
Dairy-free — use full coconut milk in place of the Fairlife and a plant-based protein powder.
How to Store
Smooth the top flat, pop the lid on, and store the ice cream right in the Ninja Creami pint. It holds its best texture for up to 2 weeks.
When you want more, it’ll be frozen solid again, so let it sit out for about 5 minutes, run it under hot water, and re-spin with a splash of milk to bring back that fresh-churned texture.
Coconut Protein Ice Cream FAQ
How do I make the coconut flavor stronger? Add a few drops of coconut extract, and use full-fat coconut milk in place of light. Coconut flavor from milk alone fades once frozen, so the extract is what gives you that real, bold coconut taste. Toasting the coconut flakes you mix in helps too.
What kind of coconut milk should I use? Light coconut milk keeps the calories down with a milder coconut flavor. Full-fat canned coconut milk makes the ice cream creamier and more coconut-forward, but adds calories and fat. Both work, so pick based on whether you want lighter or richer.
Can I make this without protein powder? Yes. You’ll lose the high-protein benefit, but the coconut milk and pudding mix still give it body. Add a little more sweetener and a splash of milk to balance it out, or blend in cottage cheese to keep some protein and creaminess.
Coconut Protein Ice Cream (Ninja Creami)
Ingredients
- ½ cup Fairlife skim milk
- 1 cup unsweetened almond milk
- ½ cup light coconut milk
- 1 scoop vanilla protein powder
- 1 tbsp vanilla jello pudding mix
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ cup unsweetened coconut shreds
Instructions
- Add fairlife skim milk, almond milk, coconut milk, protein powder, pudding mix, vanilla extract, and salt to the ninja creami pint container up to the max fill line and mix well with hand held frother.
- Freeze container for 24 hours until frozen solid.
- Remove frozen pint, run under hot water for 60 seconds and install into your machine. It’s important that your pint has a level surface, otherwise it can damage the blade.
- For the first spin, press lite Ice Cream button. Remove the outer bowl lid. If ice cream is still powdery, then add back to machine and press respin button.
- Check ice cream. The final product should be creamy and have a smooth texture. If your desired consistency isn’t reached you can add a bit of liquid and spin again on the respin setting.
- Make a small hole in the center of the ice cream and add your coconut shreds. Mix again using the “mix-in” button. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
The nutrition information provided is calculated based on industry-standard software and should be used as a general guide only. The information may vary depending on ingredient substitutions, cooking techniques, and individual serving sizes. It is the responsibility of the reader to ensure the accuracy and appropriateness of the nutritional information provided. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for personalized medical or nutritional advice.
More Ninja Creami Recipes To Try
- Banana Cream Pie Protein Ice Cream
- Biscoff Protein Ice Cream
- Birthday Cake Ice Cream In The Ninja Creami
- Protein Monster Cookie Ninja Creami
- Peanut Butter Cup Protein Ice Cream
Made this coconut protein ice cream? Leave a star rating and a comment below and tell me how it turned out, I read every one. And tag me on Instagram @basicswithbails or save it on Pinterest with #basicswithbails.
About Bailey
I love to bake, cook, exercise, and document all of the above. Nutrition is not low fat. It is not low calorie. It’s not feeling deprived or being hungry all the time. It’s nourishing your body with real, whole foods so that you are consistently satisfied and energized to live your life to the fullest! Read more…
